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Accessibility a top priority for Carrboro library

Posted on January 12, 2012January 12, 2012 by Susan Dickson

By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer
CARRBORO – Taking another small step toward a southwest library for Carrboro, the Carrboro Board of Aldermen on Tuesday discussed criteria they’d like to consider in siting a library in town, noting accessibility via public transit, walkability and bikeability as top priorities.

The board decided that a smaller group of board members would meet to delve into specific criteria to present back to the Orange County Board of Commissioners. The board of aldermen met with commissioners last October to launch talks on siting a southwest Orange County library in Carrboro.

A potential library site had previously been identified at 210 Hillsborough Road in downtown Carrboro, but county commissioners voted unanimously in August to terminate the purchase and sales agreement for the property, citing concerns with cost, outstanding title issues and a less-than-inclusive search process.

The new criteria, as outlined by the commissioners, stipulate that proposed library sites go through three phases of screening to ensure selection of the best possible site. Phase one considers visibility, long-term functionality and accessibility; phase two, centrality/direct benefits, site conditions/sustainability and reasonable cost for acquisition and development; and phase three, critique of the site by stakeholders, lease vs. purchase and the possibility and benefit of partnerships.

Carrboro Planning Director Trish McGuire said the county estimates the space needed for the library at 18,000 to 22,000 square feet.

“The library, wherever it goes, ought to have excellent access to public transportation routes,” Mayor Mark Chilton said, adding that the library should also be accessible to pedestrians and cyclists.

In addition, Chilton said, the library needs to be easily accessible by low-income families.

Board member Dan Coleman said he would like for the library to be served by a public transit route that also serves downtown Carrboro, where transit routes intersect, so that it is accessible to a greater number of residents via bus.

Board member Jacquie Gist said accessibility for the elderly population should also be considered.

“We’re all going to be elderly by the time the library’s built,” she joked.

Commissioners also asked the board to consider possible modifications to town zoning procedures to facilitate siting the library. However, board members said they wanted to ensure that, whatever zoning procedures are used, the board of aldermen would hear the public’s comments and concerns.

“I think that it would be unwise of us to get in a position where we would be delegating that responsibility. The siting of a library will be a big deal,” Gist said. “I think whatever process we choose, it must be one where the public is giving input to the board of aldermen and the board of aldermen is the one making the final decision, or we’ll set ourselves up for some unhappy results.”

Randee Haven-O’Donnell agreed, noting the backlash from residents regarding the previously proposed site on Hillsborough Road.

“[The commissioners] were shocked and saddened by the response of the community,” she said. “If the citizens were more involved up front, maybe that wouldn’t have happened.”

Haven-O’Donnell added that she would like for the process to be very open, considering as many locations as possible, including downtown.

“I just don’t think the county realizes that folks in and around Carrboro aren’t looking for a ‘suburban model’ necessarily,” she said. “That’s where I think having citizen input is important.”

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